


Superboy and the Invisible Girl

by stripeypirate



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Awkward Flirting, Drinking, F/M, Female Friendship, Fluff, Fraternities & Sororities, Self-Acceptance, Shyness, Social Anxiety, but a Wholesome bro, naruto is a bro, sassy Sakura, sasuke is a coffee snob
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-01-24 07:48:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18567025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stripeypirate/pseuds/stripeypirate
Summary: Hinata's spending her sophomore year living in the Gamma Mu house because, well, that's what's expected of her as a Hyuuga. However, it's not easy to meet people when your voice shakes every time you speak. Hinata expects she'll spend most of her time holed up in the library to avoid awkward small talk. All that's about to change when she meets a brash blond boy and his dysfunctional group of friends.





	1. Chapter 1

Hinata put down her pencil and brushed her sweaty bangs off her forehead. Normally math came easy to her; crisp, clean figures with clear rules that had to be followed, but tonight the summer air itched on her skin like sweat. Some of her sorority sisters were hosting a little get-together before classes began, and laughter bubbled up from the common room downstairs. 

_You should join them. They're your sisters after all. And they seem nice..._

Her heart squeezed its way up into her throat.  

_But everyone's already sat down. If I come in now I'll be late and I'll interrupt the conversation and everyone will look and me and wait for me to say something and I'll freeze again._

Hinata shook her head vigorously. She got up from the desk that took up a third of the tiny room. Her bed took up another third, leaving precious little space for a clothes hamper and a mini-fridge. She crept down the hall in sock feet, and down the rubbery, industrial staircase. When she reached the ground floor she turned into the kitchen before anyone in the common room could see her and slipped out the back door.  

There was a sluggish breeze blowing but even that was a blessing compared to the stagnant air of the house that already felt crowded. Hinata sat down in the grass and poked circles in the dirt with your toe.  

_Face it, you're only here because you're a legacy. You barely talked to anyone during rush. Living in the house isn't going to bring you any closer to these girls if you never had anything in common to begin with._

She bit back tears. It wasn't enough to go to her parents' alma mater; the Hyuuga family had expectations to meet and connections to maintain. Greek life wasn't simply an extracurricular option for her. It was a mandate.  

Neji didn't have any problems getting into Omega Phi. They were practically begging him to join by the end of freshman year. He made it seem like he was doing the fraternity a favor.  

Hinata scrubbed harder at the dirt and tried to swallow down the bitterness she felt towards her cousin. She heard shouting down the street and stopped, tucking her foot underneath her other calf to hide the toe of her dirty sock. If she craned her neck, she could see two boys tossing a baseball back and forth on the lawn of Alpha Tau across the street.  

They were both shirtless. Hinata felt the tips of her ears turning red, but she couldn't help but scoot forward onto her knees to get a better look. They were well-muscled and moved with an easy, athletic grace. The brown-haired one wore a sharktooth necklace and a sideways baseball cap, which gave her the impression he was trying too hard to look cool.  

The other guy had sunshine in his hair and such startlingly blue eyes, Hinata thought she'd fall into them if she looked too long. She quickly turned her gaze down to the blades of grass in front of her. An ant struggled to climb over a twig, waving its tiny antennae in distress.  

_I should go back inside before they see me._

But one of them let out an indignant shout, and Hinata watched helplessly as the ball sailed across the street and right into her sorority's front lawn.  

"What the hell kinda throw was that, Kiba?" the blond one griped.  

"What the hell kinda CATCH was that, huh? My grandma's got a better eye than you," Kiba shot back with a grin.  

He spluttered. "Maybe you should sign her up to play shortstop instead." 

"Go get the ball, loser." 

"YOU GET IT! With a throw like that-" 

They dissolved into incoherent bickering. Hinata inched forward. They were too engrossed in their argument to notice her.  

"Um, excuse me?" 

"Rock paper scissors." 

"Are you five? Just go get the damn ball." 

"E-e-excuse me?" Hinata had crossed the road and was standing on the sidewalk in front of their house. She held the ball out, clutched so tightly in her hand the stitches were digging into her palm. "Is this yours?" 

The blond one finally turned to face her and flashed a blinding smile that lit up his whole face.  

"Heyyyyy thanks, man!" He elbowed Kiba. "Look, problem solved." 

"Oh, uh cool. Thanks." Kiba gave her a brusque nod and reached out to take the ball. "I'm gonna go see if dinner's ready yet," he said to no one in particular and vanished into the house.  

Hinata was suddenly very aware of how alone she was next to this gorgeous boy who was still beaming at her expectantly.  

"Aw don't mind him. He gets along better with animals than he does with most people. He's not a bad guy though, once ya get to know him. I'm Naruto by the way. Nice to meetcha."  

"Hinata," she managed to squeak.  

He held out his hand for her to shake, but as soon as she grabbed it she was overcome with a flash of horror at her own sweaty palms.  

Naruto seemed not to notice and went right on talking.  

"Anyway I'm a sophomore, studying Poli-Sci. Classes are really boring but what're you gonna do?" He scrunched up his face. "I also play baseball and- Oh! Uhh what about you?"  

Hinata was beginning to feel a little dizzy at the torrent of conversation. It was more words than anyone had spoken to her all week.  

"I um-" she heard herself stutter faintly. "I'm a sophomore too. Chemistry." 

"Whoah cool! Waaaay too much math n shit for me. I can't stand that stuff. You must be really smart." 

Hinata blushed so deeply she thought her face might've caught fire.  

She was saved by Kiba, calling out that dinner was ready.  

Naruto gave her another easy smile and a thumbs up. "Looks like I gotta go. See you around though, yeah?" 

Hinata could only nod dumbly as she watched his tanned back retreat.  

 

* * *

 

_You'll have to avoid him for the rest of three years. You made a complete fool of yourself!_

The floaty, airy feeling that carried her on the tips of her toes lasted only until she got back to her room, when self-doubt crashed down upon her like a wave.  

_He's probably laughing about it with his friend now._

Hinata contemplated e-mailing her professors that she had been diagnosed with a rare skin condition and would no longer be able to leave to dormitory to go to class.  

_I hate this._

She bunched her bedspread up in her fists.  

_Just forget about him. He's out of your league in the first place. Focus on your studies. That's what actually matters for the future._

She glumly turned back to her math textbook. 

 

* * *

 

 

Hinata was actually glad once classes started, as it gave her something to occupy her mind during the day. It also gave her an excuse to spend most of her time out of the sorority house.  

"I'm sorry," she'd say with a faint smile. "I have to go to the library again." 

The other girls would cluck their tongues sympathetically and nod in understanding. After a few weeks, they stopped asking her to go out with them. Mostly she wandered around campus, half-hoping she'd run into Naruto again.   

"Do you mind if I sit here?"  

Hinata jerked her head up from the table where she'd been starting to doze with her biology notes spread out in front of her. A pink-haired girl gestured to the empty seat across from her with the one hand that wasn't clutching a bulging backpack. 

"N-no let me just-" she hastily started to collect her things, scooping up her papers into a messy pile.  

"Oh you don't have to leave!" The girl bent over the table to help gather a sheet that had come loose. "Hey, are you studying for the Bio 204 test next week too? I thought you looked familiar." 

"Y-you're... Sakura, right?" Hinata struggled to put names to faces. That class was held in a large lecture hall, but she remembered Sakura raising her hand a lot.  

"Yep," a small frown wrinkled her forehead. "I'm sorry, I don't remember your name." 

_I don't see why you would. I never talk in class._

"Hinata."  

"That's pretty! Want to study together? I hear this test is supposed to be a doozy." 

_What if she thinks I'm stupid? I bet her notes are all color-coordinated and organized and that she's only studying to refresh her memory. I'll just hold her back. Or worse, she'll think I want her to do all the work for me._

Hinata desperately tried to think of a polite excuse but Sakura was already sliding into the chair and setting up her textbooks.  

"I asked the TA and he said that chapter nine was going to be really important so do you want to start there?"  

She nodded. It was too late to escape now.  

Even though Sakura's notes were in fact color-coordinated, she seemed even more anxious about the upcoming exam than Hinata was. They took turns quizzing each other and Sakura would invariably look up each answer in her notes and then cross-check that with the textbook. It made for slow and tedious going, but Hinata found she was remembering the correct answers the questions she missed much better than usual.  

After two long hours, Sakura finally threw her hands up in the air. Her hair was mussed up in the front from all the times she clutched handfuls of it in frustration.  

"Alright my brain is officially fried for the night. Want to grab some coffee?"  

Hinata bit her lip. Studying together was all well and good but having a one-on-one conversation was something else entirely.  

_She'll figure out I'm boring._

Still, her head ached from all the reading, and it would be easy enough to get away if the situation got awkward. She followed Sakura out of the library.  

"Are you pre-med too?" Sakura asked as they walked side-by-side under a quiet, tree-lined path on the quad.  

Hinata shook her head. "Chemistry. My family owns a pharmaceutical company." 

"Oh wow, that sounds like a lot of pressure." 

She shrugged. "My cousin will probably take over eventually. He's um, a lot better at... things than I am." 

Sakura scoffed. "I bet you could show him up if you really put your mind to it. Don't you think it's frustrating how much of a boy's club the medical field still is? We need more women in science!" 

Hinata opened her mouth to point out the Starbucks they were passing but Sakura had entered a full-on rant.  

"I mean, honestly, I had someone the other day ask if I was in school getting my "Mrs. Degree" and when I told him that I intended to go into neurosurgery he gave me a sad little pity smile and warned me that was a very challenging field and I might not be cut out for it.  I had never spoken to him before, mind you, but nooo this briefcase wielding philistine thinks he knows what's best for me!"  

Sakura sniffed and tossed her head.  

"I told him that it was a pity he wasn't cut out for minding his own damn business." 

"Y-you didn't actually say that, d-did you?' Hinata gasped.  

"Why not? I'm sick and tired of being treated like a doormat. I can't rely on other people jumping in to speak up for me." 

Hinata looked down at her feet. Jealousy burned in her gut.  

 _I wish I could speak my mind like that_.  

"But anyway, here we are. Home, sweet home." 

_Home?_

Sakura was unlocking the door of one in an identical row of brownstone apartment buildings.  

"I-I thought-" 

"Don't worry, we'll still get coffee," Sakura called cheerfully over her shoulder. "My roommate has a fancy drip-pot thing. He's ruined me. I can't drink the store-bought stuff anymore. It tastes like mud." 

Hinata froze.  _Roommate?_   

"I don't want to intrude..." She said, backing away slowly.  

"Oh it's no big deal." Sakura grabbed her wrist and tugged her forward into the building. Boxes littered the front entrance, but the carpet was spotless. Hinata quickly kicked off her shoes. Sakura made no such concessions and marched straight into a cramped, but once again very tidy, kitchen. 

"Oi Sasuke!" She yelled down the hall. "I'm using your pretentious-ass coffee maker." 

"S-seriously I'd better go." Sweat broke out on Hinata's upper lip.  

_Sweatpants and a pajama top are fine for the library but you've been invited in. Her roommate is going to think you're a horrible slob. Look at how clean this place is. Figures, Sakura's always so organized. But here I am looking like I just rolled out of bed._

Before she could leave, a pale head poked into the kitchen.   

"Hmpf. Don't break anything. And make me a cup. Black." His eyes slid over to Hinata. "Who's this?" 

"Don't be rude!" Sakura snapped. "She's a guest. And my new study buddy."  

"Does she have a name?" 

"I'm Hinata," she cut in as she noticed Sakura's eyebrow twitch violently. "You must be Sasuke. Sakura's umm, told me that you make really good coffee." 

Sasuke shrugged. "Just be quiet. I have work to do." He padded off back down the hall and a few minutes later a door slammed.  

"Sorry. He's always like that." 

 _Then how do you live with him?_  She wanted to ask.  

The sharp tang of fresh coffee soon filled the room. Hinata loaded hers with milk and sugar. They had to walk single file to the living area to avoid more boxes stacked along the walls. There was a powder blue couch big enough to seat three, a small TV perched on a stand, and a battered coffee table in between them.  

Sakura drew her knees up and took a long sip.  

"Ahh finally. Time to relax. Do you live on campus?" 

"In the Gamma Mu house." 

"Huh I didn't have you pegged as a sorority girl. What's it like?" 

"It's ahh, it's nice." Hinata fiddle with the handle of her mug. " I-I usually focus more on school though." 

She was saved from further conversation when the front door was thrown open with a bang.  

"Yo Sasuke I know you're holed up in there. I haven't seen ya all week." 

"Oh God, here we go again," Sakura put her head in her hands. "Sorry you have to see this." 

_That voice sounds familiar._

There was the soft thumping of cardboard boxes falling over and then who of all people but Naruto emerged into the living room.  


	2. Chapter 2

Hinata placed her mug on the coffee table before she dropped it. She grabbed her kneecaps to stop her hands from shaking.   

_He's here. In this house. And he's friends with Sakura apparently? So much for avoiding him for the next three years._

To make matters worse, he was blocking the escape route. No chance to slip away while everyone was distracted.  

Naruto seemed completely oblivious to the two women on the couch as he extricated himself from a box that had somehow gotten caught around his ankle.  

"You can't hide forever. It's Friday—let's get our drink on!" 

"It's Sunday, dumbass." Sasuke emerged from the bedroom on the left. "And why don't you go drinking with all your little frat buddies, isn't that why you joined in the first place?" 

"Awww c'mon man are you still mad about that?" Naruto pouted. "I wanted to live with you an' Sakura but I never thought anyone would actually want me as a pledge. You guys are still my friends. It's not like I'm in some sorta super-secret club." 

_Maybe he'll be too busy fighting to notice me._

Sasuke snorted. "Could've fooled me. I'm trying to work here, why don't you go bother someone else?" He slammed the door shut.  

Naruto deflated like a balloon with the air leaking out, but he brightened and waved when he spotted Hinata.  

"Oh hey, I know you!" 

_So much for that_. Hinata winced.  

"You're uhh the baseball girl, right? Whatcha doing with Sakura? I didn't know you knew each other!" Without waiting for her to reply, he wiggled onto the couch between them and put his feet up on the coffee table.  

"I was going to ask you the same question." Sakura shot Hinata a questioning look. "We're in the same Bio class, but you..." 

"Oh we ran into each other before classes started." He reached over and put his arm around her like they were good friends. "Hinata? Chem major?"  

"And you remembered her name and everything," Sakura said with a small smirk.  

Hinata was frozen under the weight of his arm.  

_T-touching..._

Naruto suddenly recoiled as if he'd hugged a hot stove.  

"Shit, I'm not making you uncomfortable am I? I'm just kinda naturally handsy. Sakura yells at me for it all the time," he scratched the back of his head and grinned.  

"N-no not at-" Hinata stopped herself. The moment had passed and Naruto was busy waving his arms around as he told Sakura a story about something that happened at baseball practice.  

_I can't very well go back and ask him to hold me again. That would be weird_.  

She took a sip of her coffee so it wouldn't seem awkward that she wasn't participating in the conversation. Sakura was right. It was delicious.  

Naruto talked a mile a minute, jumping from topic to topic in a whirlwind of a conversation that ranged from a prank he played at baseball practice to his professor's bad toupee to a cool bug he'd spotted outside the humanities building.  

Sakura seemed unfazed by the verbal onslaught; nodding or shaking her head at the appropriate moments, grinning wryly at his corny jokes, and even getting a question in edgewise every now and then. Naruto leaned forward with rapt attention whenever Sakura opened her mouth, and Sakura swatted him playfully whenever he said something too raunchy. An icy sliver of jealousy pierced her heart.  

_They're so... comfortable with each other._

Hinata counted down ten minutes on her watch before setting down her cup of cold coffee. Then she fixed a bland, regretful smile to her lips.  

"I'm sorry, I r-really should get going. I have um, a lot more homework to do."  

Sakura wrinkled her nose. "Gross. Same time next week to study though? We can do a final review right before the test!" 

"S-sure." Hinata began easing her way towards the front hall.  

"What? Noooo you gotta come out with us! Don't be boring like Sasuke." Naruto threw up his hands in mock horror.  

_I wouldn't want to be a third wheel._

"I heard that, asshole," came the muffle reply from behind the door.  

In the ensuing commotion as Naruto attempted to batter his was into Sasuke's room, she slipped out. It wasn't until she was safely back in her room that it dawned on her that Sakura had invited her back a second time. And that she'd agreed.  

 

* * *

 

Hinata's phone rang the minute she returned to the sorority house. For a wild heartbeat she thought Sakura might be calling her back already, until she saw that it was 8 PM. Time for her father's Sunday phone call.  

"Hello. I trust everything is going well?" His greeting never varied. Sometimes Hinata wondered if he hadn't created a recording to go through with the calls every week.  

"Y-yes," her eyes darted to the staircase. She needed to get out of the common room before she was overheard. Not like they ever discussed anything personal, but it was the principle of it. The two girls lounging on the couch didn't even look up from their magazines as she passed.  

"Hanabi was elected captain of the fencing team. She'll still remain top of her class, I expect. She'll have her pick of any college she wants." 

"I'm glad," Hinata said. She hoped the words didn't sound as hollow to her father’s ears as they did to hers.  

"She works very hard." 

_So do I!_

"Um is there anything else you wanted to say? I'm s-studying for an exam." 

Her father snorted. "Sorry to take up your precious time. Make sure it isn't wasted. It wouldn't do for you to spend all your time locked away in your room. You need to meet people, make connections. That's why you joined that sorority, is it not? Even Hanabi understands this and she's still in high school." 

She swallowed hard so she could speak around the lump in her throat. She wanted to tell him about Sakura, but she knew that wasn't the kind of connections he meant.  

"I-I understand. R-rush is coming up s-s-soon. So-" 

"Make sure that you do." He ended the call.  

Hinata stared at the phone in her hand until an automated voice reminded her to hang up and try again.  

 

* * *

 

The week went by in an uneventful blur; Sakura smiled and waved to her across the lecture hall, but other than that she didn’t see her. Or Naruto. Meanwhile, her Gamma Mu sisters were feverishly planning for Rush. Hinata was forced to attend nightly meetings where she stifled yawns as they debated party budgets, proper attire, and ritual minutiae for hours on end.  

_I should take a more active role. It’s my responsibility as a Hyuuga. Hanabi would probably be head of a committee by now._

But when volunteers were asked for, Hinata’s hands remained firmly in her lap.   

And so on Friday Hinata found herself milling around the common room as a bass line thumped at an earsplitting volume. All the new pledges were huddled in a knot, clutching drinks and smiling nervously. She couldn't remember any of their names.  

Earlier the sorority president had asked her why she wasn't wearing a white dress like the rest of the hopefuls and she had to explain that she was already a member.  

Hinata took another swig out of her plastic cup. It was suspiciously sweet, but powerful judging by the flush already creeping across her cheeks.  

_Need to find someone to talk to. Someone important. That's the whole point of being here._

She idly watched as a couple Delta Sigma brothers set up a table for beer pong. 

_I should've just invited Sakura along after all. Though maybe she wouldn't want to come. I'm not exactly the life of the party... What if she found better people_?  

"Alright step up, step up. Who wants to get crushed?" 

_That voice._

Hinata wedged her way through the crowd that was gathering and sure enough, Naruto stood at the head of the table with Kiba slouching at his side. Her face flushed even warmer until she was sure she was a flaming beacon in the crowd. She finished her drink and watched with a flare of jealousy as another girl grabbed the guy next to her and volunteered.  

_Even if you did have a partner, you wouldn't be brave enough to challenge him_.  

She moved through the sweaty bodies to get a better view. Naruto and Kiba easily defeated the first pair. Hinata took mental note of the way Naruto scrunched up his nose as he took aim, the way his tongue poked out of the side of his mouth when he was concentrating. 

"Aw c'mon now. At this rate I'm never gettin' drunk," Kiba boasted. Naruto gave him a high-five.  

"I'm next," a cold, flat voice called out. 

Hinata dropped her cup on the sticky floor as Sasuke emerged from the throng with a frown of distaste. Sakura trailed behind him, one hand placed protectively on his shoulder. She spotted Hinata and waved her over with a hint of desperation.  

Naruto’s grin had a feral edge to it. “Hell yeah! We’re gonna mop the floor with you.” 

Hinata elbowed her way around the circle as delicately as possible.   

Kiba shot him a side-eyed look. "Are you gonna play two v one? Who's your partner?" 

"Leave me out of this! I refuse to take part in another one of your pissing contests." She heard Sakura snap as Sasuke turned toward her.  Hinata had almost reached them. 

"Seriously, let's just go. I know you hate parties. This was a bad idea," She said in a lower voice.  

A muscle twitched in Sasuke's jaw. He locked eyes with Hinata over Sakura's shoulder and pointed.  

"Her. She's my partner." 

Hands propelled her forward. A cheer went up around her before she had a chance to refuse or hide. She shot Sakura a desperate, pleading look but the other girl only offered an apologetic shrug.  

_Keep your eyes on the floor._

She stared fervently at a whorl in the wood and tried to decide what it was shaped like.   

"Heyyy Hinata! Howzit going? Remember her, Kiba? The baseball girl from before classes started?" Naruto leaned forward to get a better look, bumping the table precariously.  

"Sure," he replied, but the blank look on his face told another story.   

Hinata tried to hide behind her hair.  

"Uhh you guys first. Since we won and all." Naruto's voice, though he sounded much more subdued; uncomfortable even.  

Sasuke snorted, took aim, and must've sunk the shot, judging by the explosion of noise from the onlookers.  

She was forced to tear her gaze away from the floor as Kiba downed the cup in three long swallows. The ping-pong ball was still sticky in her fist. A circle of eyes was all around her. She felt her breath start to come in short, shallow, gasps. 

_They’re waiting for me._  But her body wouldn’t move.  

Another layer of uneasiness pooled in her stomach. A few people in the crowd were murmuring among themselves.  

She flicked her wrist up in a jerky motion to prepare to throw, but the ball slipped out of her fingers. Instinctively, she took a step forward to catch it. Her hip caught the edge of the table and in slow-motion she saw the cups rock, tumble, and spill all over the floor.  

“Party foul!” One of the onlookers cried with glee.  

Hinata wilted. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the sorority president pushing her way forward with a roll of towels and a disapproving frown on her face. 

_Everything's ruined._

Hot tears leaked down her cheeks and she bolted from the room.  


End file.
